Land purchase gets string attached

The Cedar Grove-Belgium School District’s purchase of a 4.4-acre parcel owned by the Village of Cedar Grove has an added detail to be worked out before closing.

Director of Buildings and Grounds Ben Lukens told the School Board at last week’s meeting that attorneys have questions about zoning and the need for a conditional use permit on the parcel.

The property, known as Calvary Field since it abuts Calvary Orthodox Presbyterian Church, is zoned R2 residential.

The district’s attorney, Lukens said, recommends clearing up any zoning issues  to make sure the property is properly zoned for its use.

The land has a baseball field on it that Cedar Grove uses for youth leagues.

Lukens said the impression he received from the village was that it isn’t interested in going through the “extensive process” of rezoning, so a conditional use permit would be the alternative option.

The district is checking with the village attorney about the process.

“That could be a couple of months by the time you advertise and go before the planning commission and go before the full board,” Lukens said.

The village, he said, would have to issue the permit on its own property, and that permit would stay with the land through the sale.

The cost of the land is $70,000. Money would come from this year’s school budget.

The School Board this year authorized the purchase after discussing the idea for years with the hope to bring high school softball back to campus. Games are played at Heritage Park in Belgium.

The village has purchased land west of its border to develop into a soccer field, but that won’t be ready until at least 2020.

The district will examine adding restrooms and a fence to the field, if the purchase goes through, School Board President Chad Hoopman said earlier this year.

The village and district agreed to waive inspection of the property.